Children and Armed Conflict
Preventing Gross Violations of Children's Rights During Wartime
War has no shortage of victims, but perhaps the most tragic are children who are caught in the middle of conflict beyond their control or understanding. In a groundbreaking 1996 report on the “Impact of Armed Conflict on Children,” former United Nations Minister of Education of Mozambique Graça Machel outlined the many ways children suffer during armed conflicts. “It is unforgivable that children are assaulted, violated, murdered, and yet our conscience is not revolted nor our sense of dignity challenged,” she wrote. “This represents a fundamental crisis of our civilization.” Thanks to the attention accorded the report, the United Nations…
